No. 21 USC Trojans rout CSU Bakersfield 85-59 in their home opener

USC #1 Isaiah Collier (G) driving to the lane against several CSU Bakersfield Roadrunner defenders at the Galen Center. Photo by DeAngelo Scruggs/TGSportstv1.

LOS ANGELES, CA - In their 2023-2024 season home debut, the No. 21 USC Trojans, led by head coach Andy Enfield, welcomed the Cal State University Bakersfield Roadrunners. The Trojans(2-0) defeated the Roadrunners(1-1) 85-59 in a sold-out game packed with fans and anticipation for their first appearance at the Galen Center.

Isaiah Collier, the highly heralded freshman recruit, led the Trojans in scoring 19 points, making 6-11 attempts, dishing out five assists, and collecting four steals. Collier also recorded a team-high four turnovers.

Coach Endfield shared his thoughts on his point guard play, "He played an outstanding game, and there were stretches of spectacular basketball".

Enfield knows that there will be growing pains for his young guard. "We give our guards a lot of freedom to play basketball, and they have to make the decisions".

Collier, when asked to rate his debut at the Galen Center, stated, " Shakey, a little bit to me, too many turnovers, too many defensive mistakes".

The game kicked off with a high tempo, and the Trojans opened the game with a commanding 9-2 lead, quickly establishing an early lead over the Roadrunners.

USC made scoring look easy, shooting an impressive 59% field goal percentage, making 17 out of 29 attempts. Their three-point shooting was equally impressive, connecting on 50% of their shots, hitting 7 out of 14.

The Roadrunners struggled in the first half, shooting 38% from the field, making 10-26 shots, and 0-8 from the three-point line.

USC's dominant presence on the defensive end, coupled with a few flashy reverses from Collier towards the end of the period, allowed them to take a commanding 47-23 lead into halftime.

In the second half, the Roadrunners improved on their shooting. They shot 45% from the field, making 14-31 from the floor, and 50% from three-point range, hitting 4-8 attempts.

CSU Bakersfield Roadrunner #1 (G) scored 19 points against the USC Trojans. Photo by DeAngelo Scruggs/TGSportstv1.

Kaleb Higgins led the way with 19 points and five assists for the Roadrunners.

USC matched their opponent every step of the way by making 13-26 attempts and getting to the free-throw line, sinking 11-15 shots.

Sophomore Oziyah Sellers saw his role increase tonight with Kobe Johnson out and day-to-day due to knee discomfort. Sellers was the Trojans second leading scorer with 16 points, shooting 6-9 from the field and hitting 2-4 attempts from deep.

Sellers accredited his performance to his summer workouts, "I've been working all summer on my game all around, trying to be more of an all-around player. People labeled me as just a shooter, and I didn't like that. So, I worked on my game all summer, and it showed today.